Not so Alone
by pendragoness
Summary: Max and the flock are trying to find their parents. But on the way they meet another flock...just like them. And then there's Dragon, a very strange bird kid who could put them in even more danger...R and R!
1. Meet the Flock

**A/N: Hi! My first fanfic ever. I'm not sure what I think of it so please R+R.**

**Bunnygar- She's acting like anyone will read it once my story is published**

**What are you doing here?**

**Mantis- (rolls eyes ignoring me) I don't care. Just as long as no one picks on my name**

**Bunnygar- You are complaining about your name? At least you're actually published!**

**Mantis- I'm first because you're an annoying little-**

**Shut up! Mantis get back into the story! Bunnygar, what are you…never mind, I don't want to know what you're doing here.**

**Anyways, here's chapter one.**

**_Not so Alone_**

_**Chapter One**_

_Max's POV_

Flying may be exhilarating but after six hours it loses some of its thrill. I could feel myself shaking with hunger. Fang glanced over at me, seeming to ask if we should land. I nodded and called to the rest of the flock, "Let's fly lower and find a place to sleep!"

They obeyed and Fang shifted his bag of food into a better position as he began to circle lower and lower.

**30 minutes later**

I looked around as we landed my paranoid self scanning the landscape. Not the best campsite but at least it was a clearing unlike our last one, which had been in the middle of the woods making it a bit more difficult to take off.

"Max, I'm hungry," Nudge said, "Do we have any food? Or maybe we have to hunt? No I don't wanna. I still don't like to eat meat you know. Let's find a grocery store! But what should we-"

I cut Nudge off. "Nudge? We have food."

"Oh, really? Well what do we have? We really should-"

"_Nudge_," I said firmly. She looked sheepish.

"Sorry, Max. It's just that sometimes I can't stop myself. Have you ever felt…?" I tuned her out. As she talked I walked around our makeshift fire pit and picked up Fang's bag. I almost dropped it.

"You flew with this for _six hours_?" I asked him incredulously. He shrugged. I opened the bag and pulled out a can and started opening it with a knife Fang had insisted on purchasing (_A/N: Although possible this is extremely hazardous to fingers if you wish to keep them intact). _I was about halfway done opening the can what I can now say honestly was a can of beets (why did we get a can of beets?) when a loud crack came from the surrounding woods. We all froze. Adrenalin poured into my veins and Fang and I both turned towards the sound.

_Scorpius' POV_

"Who ate the last piece of meat?" Tiger whined.

"We haven't had any meat for three days," I replied to the whiny nine year old.

"Kairi," said Cloud from beneath a large pine tree, answering his question as they both ignored me.

"Awwwwww! Man!"

"Can't you just eat something else?" I sighed tiredly. A day after our last run in with the Erasers and they were already complaining. I gave Jaguar a pleading look. He smirked and shook his head, giving me a look that seemed to say '_You can deal with the idiot crew. I'll sit here and laugh.' _I rolled my eyes, annoyed. Being

"No. C'mon Scorps! We gotta go hunt some!"

"My name is SCORPIUS! Not Scorps! Not Corpis! Not Cor! SCORPIUS! I don't care if you think it's funny to give me stupid nicknames so shut up!"

"Jeez! No need to yell _Corpis_."

"SHUT UP!"

"Scorps! Corpis! Scius!"

"All right! We'll go hunting!"

Tiger grinned. "Me'n Cloud will come too," said Kairi who had been listening to it all.

"Count me OUT," said Mantis.

"Awwww! Well isn't that just like you! It's in your name you know," Tiger said.

"What?" Mantis asked, confused.

"_Tis_sy the Sissy. A girly _Man_. Get it? Man-tis?"

"I'M COMING! ARE YOU HAPPY!" yelled Mantis, now infuriated. Tiger was beaming now. He looked to Jaguar but didn't say anything. I watched him plead with his eyes but he didn't dare say anything. He didn't provoke Jaguar. You see, the last time he did, he spent two weeks abed healing from his injuries. We started into the woods.

**30 minutes later**

"We're not gonna get anything. I'm going back to camp," Mantis groaned.

"Wait!" I hissed, hearing voices in the clearing through the trees in front of us. But it was too late. He stepped on a branch and it snapped loudly. The voices stopped abruptly. I could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck as I motioned for them to be completely silent. We stood paralyzed for what seemed like hours. Then I heard footsteps.

"Hello?" someone called, "Hello?"

_Dragon's POV_

Food! Like food! I wild. No know why. Just wild. No memory before. Kali… someone. Head hurts now. No think anymore. Food! Good food!

**A/N: I hope** **you liked it. Please review. I would actually prefer it if people could tell me what I did wrong so I can fix it for the next chapter. You are also probably wondering who Dragon and the rest of the people I added are? Wait and see. Oh yeah…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.**

**CLAIMER: I _DO_ own Scorpius, Jaguar, Mantis, Kairi, Tiger, Cloud, and Dragon**

**REVIEW! Is it a good story? A bad story? **

**Until the next chapter,**

**pendragoness**


	2. Who was that?

**A/N: Here is chapter two. Thanks for reviewing to those of you who did. REVIEW!**

**Bunnygar: I _told_ you that-**

**Shut up! Ok.**

_Max's POV_

By the time I had reached out to stop Nudge from investigating the strange noises it was to late. Oh God. What if it was Erasers and she…?

"Hello?" Nudge called, "Hello?"

We waited for eons before she came crashing out of the woods, wide eyed and breathless. "People! Other people! But they ran away. Should we follow them? Maybe…" I tuned her out, glancing at Fang.

"We should find somewhere else," I said, "It's to dangerous to stay here."

He nodded. "All right, change of plans! Pack up!" I called to the rest of the flock. I was nervous and adrenalin began to surge through my system. I wouldn't be able to calm down until we were in the air. After helping supervising the replacing of all the forest materials that would have been used to build our fire, I looked around at my guys. Angel, still with her fuzzy cornrows and her outfit from the thrift store in a somewhat worse condition, Gazzy, looking much the same though without the cornrows, Nudge, her hair slowly regaining it's original curly state, and then I looked over at Iggy, tall and pale, resting briefly against a tree, and finally at Fang. He turned and caught me looking at him and I quickly turned away, my cheeks heating.

"Okay!" I called, "everybody in the air!"

_Scorpius' POV_

The minute I heard the voice calling hello, I knew we were in trouble. Without thinking, I motioned to the rest of my flock and we bolted. I grabbed Kairi and Cloud and pushed them ahead of me, trying to speed up in case we were being pursued. Tiger ran alongside me, wheezing and fading fast. God that kid could be so annoying but he was my brother.

"We need to get back to camp. We'll fly out from there. We can't risk being caught and whoever that was, was _way _to close to finding us," I said, addressing the rest of them. I turned abruptly and came to a halt in the center of our clearing, breathing hard. I quickly glanced around, gesturing for Mantis to direct the other kids in packing up. Where was Jaguar? Damn that stupid boy. He was always disappearing at the worst moments. We had to get ready to leave _now_.

"Jaguar! I don't have time for your stupid games!" I yelled, angrily, "Come on, Jaguar! We have to go!" I waited for a few seconds. _This_ was not like Jaguar. He might have been an idiot but he was big on making sure no one got hurt or recaptured. Something like that should have brought him running.

"Jaguar?" I called, suddenly nervous, "Jaguar?"

Several Erasers appeared from around the clearing. "Looking for anyone?" one of them snarled, holding our missing family member by the throat. Oh God.

_Dragon's POV_

Strange. New noises. Bad bad no go way. Go way. No like. Run! Run! Bad wolf. Leave me alone. Bad wolf. Stay away. No. More. Run. Hide. So tired. Head hurt. Bad wolf. Stay away. Bad Wolf. Stay away. Bad…

**A/N: So how was it? REVIEW! Is this a good story? Bad? What should happen? Review!**

**Bunnygar: (patiently) I've told you a million times before that-**

**How about this? You leave this story alone or yours NEVER gets published?**

**Bunnygar: OK! OK! **

**See you next time,**

**pendragoness**

**_(and Bunnygar)_ Hey! What the-?**


	3. Eraser

**Hey! Sorry it's been so long! My computer is having some problems and I've been SO busy. Stupid programs. This will be a short crappy chapter but whatever. I really feel like updating. To anyone wondering about Dragon: She will come in later. Just hang on. I'm writing her thoughts so that you'll understand a little bit about where she comes from. OK.**

**Wulfgar: Could you please get rid of him? gestures to Bunny gar**

**Who are you-? AAAAAAAAH! OK. Here is the chapter. **

_Max's POV_

"Come on," I said impatiently to Nudge. She was poking around the edges of the clearing one last time. Despite my announcement that we were leaving about _five minutes ago_, she was still dawdling. Gazzy leaped into the air and I stared at the back of Nudge's head impatiently.

"Let's GO!"

"I'm coming. I just thought…y'know maybe-" She saw the look on my face and jumped into the air. I wasn't sure why yet but I could sense that danger was close. We _had_ to leave. I could feel it in the air, a kind of tension. I followed her into the air, rising quickly to meet the flock.

"We'll keep heading East," I announced, basically stating the obvious as they were already beginning to fly in that direction. I felt better in the air. We were heading away from whatever perils lay below and we were flying closer and closer to finding our parents. Well…their parents. But I could deal.

_Scorpius' POV_

I was panicking and Mantis took over for a moment while I regained control. He threw Cloud and Tiger into the air. Did I know she could do that? He and Kairi remained on the ground. But what were we supposed to do? AH! Why did my brain have to pick _now_ of all times to fall apart. But suddenly the Eraser was acting strangely. He seemed to cup his hand around his ear and then his mouth formed words but nothing came out.

He gestured to the other Erasers and they just dropped Jaguar and walked away. WHAT! Had I been transported to another world in my sleep? This was NOT NORMAL! Kairi looked freaked out. No, scratch that last. We all were freaked out. I shook my head, trying to clear it and ran to Jaguar. Here was something that made sense. They had beaten him up pretty badly. I glanced up at Mantis, making a fast decision.

"You take the others, fly west. We'll meet you in …Tipisco Arizona?" We had all been to Tipisco. It was the best place for dumpster diving. Although it wasn't too convenient considering where we were and the distance, it was the best I could come up with.

"But Scorpius! I don't…"

He didn't finish his sentence, just rose into the air, dragging Kairi with him and herding she, Tiger, and Cloud into the sunset. I looked back as Jaguar began to stir. Man, he was going to take some time to heal.

_Eraser's POV_

This was impossible! They order me to do everything in my power to annihilate the second flock and then just when I'm finally doing what they want they change their minds! Damn the Director and all her precious scientists! Couldn't they give a direct order every now and then! Chase the first flock! No, I mean the second flock! Oh! Now we need you to abort that mission and come help us with the wild subject! I don't know what they're talking about. But as usual I have to obey.

"This is a good opportunity to finally recapture this subject!" the Director hissed through my earpiece, "DON'T mess it up!"

I grit my teeth. Of course I know not to mess up! Who does she think I am! I freeze, detecting motion in a tree only about twenty yards away.

"That's her," the Director whispers, "we want her alive." I nod to myself, beginning to grin and forgetting my earlier frustration.

_Dragon's POV_

Oh no. I see. Bad Wolf. He there. Stare at me. No. Bad. I don't want him to catch me. Climb tree. Be safe. Stay Away.

**AAAAAH! A crappy chapter to be sure, but still a chapter. Hope you liked it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.**

**Have you read the second Maximum Ride! OMG it's so good! Read it now if you haven't! AAAAAAAAAH! has nervy spaz out **

**ttyl,**

**pendragoness**


	4. Midair Collision

**Mwahahaha! Bunnygar is gone forever! I'm not sure what to write but I'll have more time because it's summer vacation! Freedom! But you don't want to listen to my pointless talking; you want to read the next chapter. The next chapter (triumphant music plays)…**

_Mantis' POV_

I was freaking out. Scorpius put _me_ in charge? Why me? Even Kairi was better for the job. I mean, they would actually _listen_ to her. But not me. Never me. They never thought twice about ignoring me, scorning me. What was I supposed to do? And there was Tiger, looping off in the wrong direction, with Cloud not far behind.

"Hey!" I called, "Come on! Get back here, we're going to Tipisco."

He turned to face me. "Says who?"

"Scorpius."

"But Scorpius isn't here, is he?"

I blinked. None of us had ever questioned Scorpius before. We trusted him completely and I knew that I would always follow his instruction, even if it meant going back to the School. Well maybe not always, but as long as I understood and agreed with him. He always seemed to know exactly what he was doing, how to fix our problems, how to keep Kairi and Tiger from killing one another. I was appalled that Tiger dared to defy him.

"No but I am," I replied, an edge in my voice.

"I don't have much faith in your ability to stop us," he said, referring to my lack of physical skill in comparison to his. It's true. And embarrassing that he- a nine year old dim wit- can best me- a twelve year old intelligent being- in almost anything (except for academics).

"Do you have any faith in mine?" Kairi asked coldly, glaring at Tiger.

Tiger grinned nervously, "Aren't you coming with us?"

"No," she hissed, "I owe Scorpius everything I have. My life, my liberty, everything. If you think even for one second that I would _consider_ stooping to your pathetic level and abandoning the rest of our family just because he isn't here then you're stupider than I thought. If you leave now, you're NOT going to be welcomed back. Make your choice. Because the minute you turn your back that's it. Don't come back in two hours and expect to be part of this family," she finished.

If looks could kill then Tiger would have already died one hundred times. He was silent, looking sullenly at his older sister.

"Well," she spat, "what are you going to do? Make your decision. Do you really have the guts to leave? Because you know I'm not lying."

Tiger didn't say anything but flew back to us and turned himself in the right direction. I didn't show it but inside I sighed with relief.

"Let's go," I said quietly, "We've got a lot of distance to cover."

_Kairi's POV_

I can't believe Tiger! That bastard really gets on my nerves. Like I would ever abandon anyone. Well, except for maybe him. He doesn't count. He's not just anyone. He's the most stupid, idiotic, annoying, dastardly, moronic kid with an over inflated ego that the world has ever seen. I could go on for days. But I won't. Suffice to say I…dislike him. And now I was stuck up here, flying with him and the others to Tipisco. Honestly, couldn't Scorpius find some closer meeting points? But I figured that after my big 'defender of Scorpius' speech, I shouldn't protest. So we flew. We weren't very far from where we had started. Tipisco was about three days away at the very least with the speed we were making. Just as I saw Mantis begin to relax a little, he pulled up.

"What is it?" I asked, flying over to look in the direction he was. He pointed ahead to some indistinct figures not too far away, but distant enough to make it impossible to see who or what they were. Great. Just frickin' great.

_Max's POV_

It felt a lot better to be flying. In fact it would have been just great if I hadn't just spotted some strange figures in the air ahead of us. I motioned for the others to stop and rubbed my eyes, trying to see better. They were coming our way and stopped, seeming to spot us. Or at least two of them did. There were four altogether. They didn't look threatening but my system wasn't listening, pumping adrenalin furiously. I'll have to have a word with my paranoia later. Fang glanced over at me, questioningly. I thought for a minute.

"We'll keep flying. I think we can get close enough just to see what they are," I decided, glancing to him for approval. He nodded and we pulled into a tighter formation, slowly circling closer to the other fliers.

_Mantis' POV_

We watched as the unidentified figures stopped, conferred, and then continued flying toward us. Oh God, what now? I looked to Kairi for help but just as she was about to speak, I instinctively looked up. Cloud and Tiger, who were bored and weren't paying attention, had started a new game. I began to rise to stop them but was drawn back as Kairi tugged my sleeve. She pointed and I saw why she was beginning to panic. The figures were closer than ever now. They were other bird kids. Just like us. There were six of them, and though they flew in a semi-loose formation, they were tense. And now they were only 30 yards away…25. The strangers stopped and stared at us incredulously. I heard a shriek of laughter and Cloud, who hadn't even seen the strangers, dropped to our level.

"Hey Mantis, check this out!" she cried.

Then she reversed fast. She was flying backwards. Did I know she could do that? I don't think the rest of us could. What did she have? Hummingbird genes? Her wings were certainly moving fast enough. All these thoughts were blown from my head as Cloud slammed into the smallest kid in the other flock, a small blonde girl who looked to be around 6. Cloud hit her hard, and I saw the child's eyes roll back in her head as she began to fall. I always knew that Cloud was a ditz.

**It's late so I apologize for mistakes. Suggestions? Comments? Flames? REVIEW! Review! review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.**

**gtg,**

**pendragoness**


	5. I Have Wings?

**Hi! I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed. Your reviews have encouraged me to write this chapter BEFORE I go on vacation (without a computer with internet sniff sniff). I'll try to make it worth it. **

**Wulfgar: Here we go. She's getting all mushy. **

**Sigh some characters don't appreciate a nice thank you to readers. Without further ado… **

_Scorpius' POV _

I knelt beside Jaguar who was still unconscious and gently wiped a bit of blood from the side of his mouth. He cried out sharply as he began to stir and blinked several times. I leaned back slightly, not wanting to alarm him as he regained consciousness. He suddenly began to focus and shot into a sitting position, clutching his left arm and almost falling back onto the ground.

"Jaguar?" I asked, "Are you all right? Can you stand?"

He didn't respond and I stood, extending a hand for him to take. He looked at me nervously, clearly frightened. I bent down further and he propelled himself backwards away from me, releasing his injured left arm in order to maximize the momentum.

"Who are you?" he rasped, "Who are you and how do you know me?"

"It's me," I answered, "Scorpius. Your friend. Remember?"

He shook his head slowly. I lifted a water canteen from my belt and offered it to him. His eyes widened, reflecting his fear and he braced himself against a tree and managed to stand with its aid.

"I don't know who you are or how you know me. Stay away from me."

"I'm Scorpius!" I cried, beginning to get frustrated. "Scorpius! The one who helped you get away from the School! The one who you like to laugh at because I can't stop the others from squabbling! The person who helped you learn how to fly!"

This caught his attention. "Learn how to fly?" he asked, incredulously, "You make it sound like I have wings."

My mouth dropped open. He really couldn't remember. I had a hard time believing anyone could forget. He eyed my expression and then nervously used his good arm to reach behind him. As his hand touched his back, I saw his eyes widen even more than before, in shock.

"I have…wings?" he gasped.

_Max's POV _

Both Fang and I dove after Angel, streamlining our bodies as we caught up to her falling unconscious one. Oh God, Angel. My baby. As I came level with her, I reached out and caught her, pulling her close and motioning for Gazzy, Iggy, and Nudge to land with us. We landed on the edge of a large lake and I immediately collapsed, trying to make Angel as comfortable as possible. We all crowded around her, trying to reassure ourselves that she was all right. Behind me, I heard the sound of more people landing and I whirled, ready to protect my flock. They weren't interested in us however. They seemed more interested in what was going on within their own flock. Namely, the one who looked to be the oldest screaming at the one who looked to be the youngest.

There were four in all. A medium height boy with blond hair and fair skin, dressed in ripped, faded, baggy jeans and a T-shirt that you couldn't really tell the color of. Well, it looked kind of dirt colored with some grass stains and dried blood. Ugh. He was the 'screamer' who was lecturing the younger child. Looking on with interest were two bird kids who looked about the same age. The girl was almost as tall as dirty-T-shirt kid, with white blond hair, tanned skin, and stunning blue-green eyes which I could see from the angle I was looking at them from. Her clothing was in slightly better condition. Her companion was a boy, the top of whose head was level with her eyes. He had short, dark blond hair and brown eyes that were full of mischief. I'm guessing that he had something to do with ripped-jean-kid's lecturing. The final child came about to the oldest kid's shoulder. She was the only non-blond of the group, as her hair was black, framing a brown face. At the moment she was looking a bit regretful.

"I can't believe you! Flying like that! Didn't you notice that the rest of us weren't all fun and games! You just wait until Scorpius finds out! He'll be mad because I didn't wait for him so that we could kill you together! Weren't you-!"

I interrupted him, taking a step forward and tapping on his shoulder.

_Mantis' POV _

I jumped and turned, responding to the tap on my shoulder. Of course, luck would have it that I ended up face to face with the person who seemed to be the leader of the other flock. Where's Scorpius when you need him? I took a small step backwards, treading on Cloud's unsuspecting toes.

"Ow!" she yelled, leaping back.

I glanced nervously at the imposing stranger-girl.

"Uh…Hi! I'm Mantis," I said, sounding falsely cheerful. I mean, what else was I supposed to do? Push her into the lake? She looked a bit bewildered and responded, mimicking my tone.

"Hi. I'm Max," she said, giving me this Oh-my-god-does-is-this-other-bird-kid-insane look.

This was so awkward. What was I supposed to say? I've never been good with people, mutant freaks or not. Of course I've never been around a lot of people either so I thought I was doing pretty well. It was deathly silent, with everyone else's eyes on me and Max. The tension in the air was palpable and I could feel my hands beginning to sweat. My armpit itched, I had to go to the bathroom, and I felt a sudden burst of energy that urged me to leap into the air. All these things were suddenly becoming evident to me as I shifted from foot to foot in the uncomfortable silence. But I figured I shouldn't itch my armpit because I would look like a monkey, I shouldn't go to the bathroom because that would just be weird, and I shouldn't jump into the air because by now I was sweating all over and the last thing I needed was for my sweat to rain down on them or have someone catch a whiff of my body odor which would probably kill them. By now, Scorpius would have talked us out of this and we'd be flying. I was such a failure. But I really had to say something.

"Sooooo. You came from the School?" I asked, stupidly.

As the six kids in the other flock gave me strange looks, Kairi pushed me out of the way and took over. Sure, her little speech was stupid too. But she spoke anyway.

"I'm Kairi. This is my family. Mantis, Cloud, and Tiger," she gestured to each of us in turn. "I also have two other brothers', Scorpius and Jaguar, who are going to meet up with us in…at where we're flying to. Cloud apologizes for accidentally running into one of your flock. We hope she's okay."

Kairi stopped talking and turned to us, as is seeking approval. I rolled my eyes. It had three faults. It was stupid, it gave too much away, and well, it's hard to describe the third fault. It's just…

Kairi glared at me. Oops, I missed something.

"You were just thinking about how stupid that was, weren't you?"

"Ummmmmmm…no?" I gave her an innocent smile. She glared at me.

"Let's go. I'll fight with you later," she said.

We were about to take off, when Max ran forward.

"No!" she yelled, "Wait!"

_Max's POV _

Why was I stopping these other bird kids from leaving? They obviously wanted to leave and were self sufficient. They had places to go, people to meet. So why? I felt instinctively inclined to protect them. Because I had met some other mutant freaks, I didn't want to have them fly away. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I could feel Fang staring at the back of my head and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

We barely have enough to provide for ourselves. We're all on the run, all the time. So why am I trying to take in even more bird kids. I mentally narrowed my eyes at him. Because I can, I thought fiercely, because I can. I hung on to that thought as I approached the other flock.

**I'd love to make this chapter longer but I don't want it to get too long! This is the longest chapter yet! Actually, the length is to make up for all the time when I won't be able to update. I'll try to update next week. After that, no promises. Hope you liked it. **

**REVIEW! **

**pendragoness **


	6. Escape

**Hi everybody! Yes it's me, back for one last update before I don't have access to a computer for a while. Before I start talking aimlessly… **

**My thanks to: **

**Yascarocks **

**Lady Inari **

**skyboard91 **

**crash **

**KelleyFitzgerald **

**Ashley **

**Brandi **

**blueeyesbetter **

**Rideraria-Starcat **

**You people are so awesome. Thanks for reviewing. As for those of you who are reading this that didn't review (and I know some of you are), REVIEW! …this is a ridiculously long author's note… **

_Mantis' POV_

I turned to stare at the Max-bird-kid as she called out for us to stop. Not more talking to strangers, I groaned inwardly. Another kid in her group, the tall one with dark hair wearing all black, looked like he wanted to kill her. He was giving her this what-are-you-thinking stare. She looked genuinely concerned. I motioned for Kairi and the others to turn, too. Even Tiger, the world's stupidest, most emotionally blind, insensitive child could read the message that was scrawled all over this girl's face. But what made her think that we wanted her help? That we even wanted to get to know her? I heard Kairi sigh and glanced over to see her looking up at the heavens as if asking 'Why me?' Cloud looked up at me and in that moment I made sure that never a moment would pass when I would not classify her as a ditz. Without knowing anything about this other bird-kid but her name, and with all the things that we had been put through, she wanted to just automatically trust her. Riiiiiiiight. If she thought that I was letting this happen anytime soon then she was having some serious daydreaming problems.

"Yes?" I said, addressing Max before we ended up with another uncomfortable silence.

"I…I…um…I really….I would like…." she stuttered, trying to find the right words. This was going to take forever.

_Max's POV_

I just couldn't figure out what to say. I mean, what was there to say? The youngest one seemed to have figured it out but if the three blonde's had, they gave no sign of it.

"I…" I started again and petered off.

"You want us to stay?" the one called Kairi asked.

I nodded mutely. Why couldn't I just have said that?

"Why?" Mantis asked. "Why do you want us to stay? You have someplace to go, we have someplace to go…Why would you want us to stay?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Call it instinct," I said.

_Scorpius' POV _

I could only stare at Jaguar.

"Yes," I replied, without breaking my gaze, "you have wings?"

He looked at me seeming horrified.

"But how…" he trailed off, "Why can't I remember? What..."

He looked bewildered.

"I'm a mutant," he concluded, "a mutant freak." At this realization he lost it. My brother Jaguar, who I have never seen shed a tear, broke down into hysterical sobs. It frustrated me, that he couldn't remember, but it scared me that he was acting this way. Wouldn't he keep the same mannerisms even if he had no conscious memory? This was such a mess. Such a frickin mess. What was I getting myself into?

_Dragon's POV _

Climb the tree. Higher. Higher. Bad wolf man. He climb too. Oh no. No. No. No…

_Eraser's POV _

I was going to catch this bird kid. I felt sure of that. She was climbing a tree, higher and higher, but soon she would have no choice but to fly. The minute she left the safety of the tree, my comrades on the ground would hit her with a stun dart. Of course, I was the one who had to chase her up the tree. I wasn't exactly built for climbing but this was it. If I succeeded at this, The Director would reward me greatly. I would be Prince of all Erasers…I paused for a moment, savoring my glorious daydream.

"You!" the director hissed in my ear, "Keep moving, we've almost got her."

Annoyed, I reached up for the next branch and began to swing myself up. Then I found out why the bird-girl had paused there for so long. Disgusted, I automatically released the branch, realizing my mistake too late. My comrades were just smart enough to stand in one little group…right under the tree. I hit them head on as our target took off. Cursing, we struggled to our feet, but she was long gone. Our attention however, was taken away from the skies, as The Director stormed into view. I could feel the color draining from my face as I came to 'attention' hiding my feces smeared hands behind my back.

_Dragon's POV _

Ha-ha! Stupid Wolf! I escape. Go now. Find safe home. Home. Remember Home. I do. With Ka…Someone. Ka…Kali…….Kaliantay! I remember! Kaliantay! Who is that? Head hurt again. Find food.

**So this is how I repay the reviewers I just thanked, a short chapter. Just Kidding! The next one will be longer because I'll have more time. I realized that I hadn't put anything about Dragon in for the past couple chapters so I knew she had to be in this one. Any ideas for the next chapter? **

**REVIEW! **

**pendragoness**


	7. Not a Fight, Still a Flight

**Hi! Me…back again. Smiles Thanks for the reviews! This is going to be incredibly short. Oh well…**

_Mantis' POV_

I saw the look on Kairi's face and knew that I was going to have to shut her up quickly. Because what ever was about to come out of her mouth, it was not going to help the situation. Mentally I cursed Scorpius into oblivion. Why did he have to do this to me? Couldn't we all stay and help instead of his stupid splitting up idea? Underneath my anger however, I knew his reasons and they were good. I reached out to stop Kairi but he stepped out of my reach, her sharp young voice cutting through the air.

"Instinct?" she sneered, "_Instinct_? You're asking us to stay here with _you_ because you instinctively feel that we should? You don't know anything about us or where we're going, or any other significant detail. And _we_," she said, turning to me, "need to go before we lose anymore time."

"The one thing I do know," Max hissed, "is that you're to young and arrogant to lead you're friends. But judging by Mantis' attitude he is perfectly happy to answer to you. I-"

"Just FYI, I'm _not_ the boss. If I was, we wouldn't have even landed."

"Kairi," my voice rose a notch, "Let's get out of here." Seeing the oncoming battle I decided that thinking about Max's suggestion would just complicate our lives even more. It was best to follow Scorpius' instructions. I saw Max step toward us and threw Tiger into the air. But Cloud stayed put. Infuriated, I dragged her up with me and Kairi flew to help me, pulling the unwilling girl into the sky. Damn it, I railed inside my head, this idiot got us into this mess and now she's making it worse. Max didn't say a word as we left, disappearing into the darkening sky. She just stood and watched, shading her eyes from the dying rays of the sun.

_Max's POV_

I felt more frustrated than I had in months as I watched those smart-mouthed bird kids fly away. I turned angrily on my heel to face my own flock. Gazzy, Nudge, and Iggy were gathered around Angel who had regained consciousness but Fang stood apart, his expression unreadable.

"We're going after them," I announced vehemently. My flock looked at me in surprise. Go after them? their expressions seemed to ask, What? Why? But seeing the look on my face, they nodded in agreement and turned back to Angel. With that small statement out in the open, I ran to hug my baby and assure myself that she was alright.

_Dragon's POV_

Fly. I fly. Free! Away. Bad wolf. I escape. Evil. Happy! Kali would…Who is that? Kali…antay. Kaliantay. Kaliantay good. Kaliantay very good. Bad Wolf. Hurt Kali. What? How? Ow! Head! Head…aches? Too much remember. Food. Sleep. Yes…

**Yes that was very short. Now, you, as the readers, will get to vote! This is for all of you who have asked about Dragon. Please review. Options:**

**The story goes on just the way it has. As the rest of the characters meet her, more and more is gradually told about her until you can form a complete picture of her past. **

**The story goes on but instead of a chapter, every other update will tell a part of Dragon's past until you can understand why she is so…for lack of better words…messed up. **

**REVIEW! I'm going to be mean. I need at least five votes from _different people_ to keep going. Mwahahahaha! Stop reading this and go review!**

**pendragoness**


	8. Turnaround

**Hi! Hi! Hi! It's me, back from vacation…Yay! Finally updating! Just looked and I have 32 reviews! That's a lot for someone like me… Yes…I've looked at my hits and even if a lot of you visit the page twice that's a scary number of hits without reviews… Oh yeah! I'm going to apologize right now to:**

**Silver-head angel **

**birdbOy**

**You were out-voted by one. Everyone will now officially learn about Dragon gradually, as Max and the other characters do. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what to put in these next few chapters. Hope you like it! Don't forget to review before you leave! **

_Mantis' POV_

This was as close to hell as you could get without returning to the School I decided, gritting my teeth. It was early and pre-dawn light bathed us as we rose above the tree-tops to begin our flight in earnest. I had not slept well, and by the looks of it, Kairi hadn't either because she was in a nasty mood.

"Cloud," I hissed as she started to circle off, "Do _not_ waste time or energy. We need to conserve our strength so we can get to Tipisco quickly."

"Why can't we just meet Scorpius somewhere closer?" she asked, reluctantly swerving back into our midst.

"Because he told us to meet him in Tipisco," Kairi replied, through tight lips.

"Oh, why do you guys always listen to that fool?" Tiger said, joining the conversation.

"I told you-" Kairi began, angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You owe him everything," Tiger said, sounding bored, "But there's more to life than that, isn't there? There is so much more than owing people and paying debts. _Just_ because you owe him everything means that you'll follow him forever? We both know that you disagree on many things including the way he supervises us in general."

"It's more than just owing!" Kairi cried indignantly, "It's…loyalty! A sense of…family, I guess! It's so hard to describe! Doesn't any of that mean anything to you! How can _you_ talk about how much there is to life when you seem blind to most of it!"

"Maybe you're wrong! Maybe you are just so caught up with your…feelings," he spit the word like an insult, "that you don't realize that Scorpius might not be the best guy to lead us!"

"And you think that _you_ are any match for him?"

He lifted his gaze from the ground at which he had been staring down at to meet her gaze and changed the subject abruptly.

"You don't know me. None of you know me. You think you do…but you have no idea," as he said this, his voice quieted rapidly and the last few words came out as a whisper.

I released a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. Both kids were still angry, but the worst of it had passed. We turned and silently flew on, but the air was thick with tension now. I was uneasy as I guided them over the forest, still going west, constantly west. I didn't expect Kairi's explosion. She whirled suddenly in the air to face me. There was no real anger in her face, just frustration that the pent up tension must have amplified.

"How can you be so…so…weak!" she yelled, "You try to act like a leader, but you do realize that it's obvious that it's an act, right? You're so infuriating! Whenever silence is best, you talk! Whenever we need conversation, you're silent!"

"What!" I replied, provoked, "What was that all about! Is it _my_ fault that Scorpius put me in charge! Is it _my_ fault that I'm not exactly good at this!"

"Yes!" she screamed, and I though I now understood that this was her way of trying to relieve the pressure she felt, I blew.

"You act like this is easy! You seriously think that I want to be in charge of three idiots and have to get them all to Tipisco safely! Let me tell you…THIS IS A HELL ON EARTH! The only thing worse is the School! You are all so ignorant! All you do is complain and I will admit it! I am not a leader! I don't know how Scorpius can stand you but I've figured out one thing! I CAN'T! No matter what anyone thinks of me! You hear me! I…CAN…NOT! I CAN'T! So you know what! We're turning around! I don't care what the hell Scorpius says! WE'RE TURNING AROUND!"

"What if he's not-"

"He will be! Shut up and start flying!"

I grabbed her arm, finding strength I'd never used, and threw her in front of me back in the direction from which we had come. Tiger and Cloud hurried to turn lest they receive the same treatment. God damn these idiots. I was already regretting my decision as we began to fly back, but it was too late now. I hoped that Scorpius would understand.

**Once again I'm really sorry to those of you who wanted the 'Dragon's Past chapters'. I hope you liked this. I think I'll update again tonight but I'm not sure…REVIEW! **


	9. I Remember

**Greetings to all my readers! I had a lot of trouble with this chapter so I hope it turned out okay. So we've finally reached chapter 9… **

_Dragon's POV _

Ow! Head hurt bad. So bad. But want remember. No! Wrong! _I_ want _to_ remember. Ow! Head hurt worse. This not good. Can't get up. Pain.

_Scorpius' POV _

Jaguar hadn't slept all night. He was restless, upset, and now in a fouler mood than before. The wings concept hadn't gone over well with him. My incredulous response to his amnesia hadn't helped. He glared at me from the tree in which he perched, and I knew that there was no convincing him of anything now. I would have to wait until he was ready to talk. Even amnesia can't change some things. On top of my worries about Jaguar, I was concerned about the rest of my flock. Where were they? Were they having any problems? Was Tiger obeying Mantis? In hindsight, I realized that he might not have been the best man for the job but he was the oldest of them, and I wasn't sure what Kairi would do. Her temper might get them killed. At the sound of footsteps in the forest beyond, I gestured for jaguar to keep quiet and stood tensely, waiting for whoever it was.

"I don't give a damn whether or not you think…" the girl trailed off as she came within eyeshot of us.

Behind her, several other bodies crashed to halt.

"Stupid hikers," one of the five behind her muttered.

Of course, he didn't realize that I knew he was a bird-kid. It's just that seeing their wings was a dead giveaway. I could feel Jaguar staring at the back of my head as I slowly unfolded my own wings, extending them and then quickly folding them again.

"There's even more?" the girl asked and then ran a hand through her hair.

"What do you mean _more_?" I asked, not really understanding what she was talking about.

"I'm Max. This is my flock," she said extending her hand. She was obviously tired otherwise I'm sure she would have been more guarded, more wary.

"What were you talking about when you said 'There's even more'," I demanded.

"Name," she responded.

"Scorpius," I said, "Now answer me!"

"Yes, yes, alright! We met four other bird kids on our way."

"What did they look like?"

"Three blondes and a black haired one."

"What were their names?"

"Mantis, Kairi, Tiger, and Cloud."

"That's my flock! Are they okay!"

"They're perfectly fine despite Kairi's need for an attitude adjustment."

I grinned half heartedly but it faded when a shadow passed overhead. Four familiar figures came circling down to land. Completely ignoring the fact that there was another flock there, I turned to face them and only them.

"What the hell are you doing here!" I yelled.

_Mantis' POV_

I winced at Scorpius' furious question. But as I got ready to explain, I felt my expression harden.

"We had a few problems," I said, icily, "Right Kairi? Tiger?"

They looked scared as Scorpius turned on them. Cloud and I slipped quietly to the side. Oops did, I say quietly? I meant quietly until I bumped right into a girl two heads taller and who looked to be about three years older than me. The Max-bird-kid.

"What're _you_ doing here!"

"We just stopped by to say hello," she said sarcastically. "Actually we were talking to Scorpius because we happened to run into him."

Scorpius, done lecturing Kairi and Tiger, motioned for us to join him. And so we stood one flock on one side, one flock on the other. And I'm sure we would have talked if just at that moment, a wild crashing sound hadn't been heard and someone _else_ hadn't stumbled into the clearing.

_Max's POV_

I stared in shock at the figure in the middle of the clearing. She was a bird-kid all right. Her wings were gray, spotted with black and her feathers were filthy, coated with dirt and sweat. She had obviously been living in the forest for a long time. Her clothing was in tatters and it looked several sizes too small. It was impossible to tell what color it had originally been. Her skin color was impossible to tell, because she was coated in grime. I mean, there were visible _layers_ of it. Her dark hair was a rat's nest of tangles and twigs that hung down to her waste. The girl crouched in the center of the clearing, not looking up. Tentatively I took a step forward. She raised her head sniffed while staring at me. Her vivid green eyes were wild and confused and suddenly she rose, hatred filling her eyes. It was obvious from her body language that she wasn't going to talk. She glared around at all of us. I was confused. Why would she dislike us so suddenly? What could we have done? But then she collapsed again. This was strange and she was beginning to scare me.

_Dragon's POV_

Pain. Falling. There are others. But I no like them. They left…they left…me. Forgot…me. Ow! I want remember! Yes! Remember! I want so much! Remember! Why do I hate! Help me! Ow! Fire! I feel Fire! Fire! Icy Fire everywhere! I hate! I want remember! I…want… No! Pain! Stay Away! Give up. I give up. Tell world. Give up! No hope…

"Give up! GIVE UP! Hear me! HEAR ME! I…GIVE…UP!" I fall. Again.

_Max's POV_

I stared in shock as the girl lay there panting. Her outburst scared me. I had no idea what she was talking about. She screamed. And in it, I could hear what she was feeling. There was pain, anger, grief, frustration. It was clear what she was trying to convey. She had given up. For her, there was no hope anymore.

My heart went out to her and even after the screaming stopped, her sobs were an ever present reminder. I wanted to run to her, comfort her. No one should have to feel that way. But I had a feeling that my presence would just make it worse. So we waited. No one talked, but as we sat there, I sensed a mutual agreement. We were now one flock. We had to stick together. There was nothing else to it. Come what may, we were all in the same boat, with the same fundamental problems. It would work out somehow.

_Dragon's POV_

I could feel myself shaking with unrelenting sobs and sensed the presence of other people. Well, I thought to myself, this is humiliating. But one thing broke through the thick fog that was slowly lifting from my mind. I sat up with a start.

"I remember!"

**What do you think? I know Max probably seems a little weird in this chapter and I think I rushed a little too much, but I don't have much time. And don't worry. This is in no way the end. We just got finished with the beginning (grins evilly). **

**Jaguar: Hey! Next chapter could I _please_ have some lines! **

**Maybe. **

**REVIEW! **

**pendragoness **


	10. Joining Up

**Hi ppl! I'm back again. Of course I'm also being annoyed by a bunch of characters that won't stay in the story…**

**Jaguar: You promised me more lines! Don't forget!**

**I heard you the first time! Now-**

**Tiger: Me too! Me too! I wanna be the hero!**

**Uh huh. Yah right. Get back in the-**

**Kairi: Could you _please_ just have me-**

**SHUT UP AND GET BACK INTO THE STORY BEFORE I KILL YOU ALL OFF!**

**(Behind me there is a scuffling of footsteps. The room is now empty.)**

**Hey I should do that more often…Here's chapter 10… **

_I could feel myself shaking with unrelenting sobs and sensed the presence of other people. Well, I thought to myself, this is humiliating. But one thing broke through the thick fog that was slowly lifting from my mind. I sat up with a start._

"_I remember!"_

_Max's POV_

I took a tentative step toward the strange girl, not quite sure what to do. But when she turned to look at me, I could sense that something was different about her. Something had changed within the past few minutes. Hope had returned. That thought itself brought a small smile to my face.

_Dragon's POV_

I turned to meet the eyes of another girl, staring just as steadily back at me. An involuntary shudder ran down my spine. It had been so long since I had interacted with other people. And here there were so many! Twelve! The only comfort I had was that they were bird kids. Wait…other bird kids? Then they were the ones who…? Memories of my early life are trickling back now, slowly filling my mind. But it is still hard to recall. It will be a long time before I truly remember everything. Still, I knew that I had seen these people before. And the only other way that I could have was if…they were the ones. The same kids who forgot me. The night we broke out, they were the kids. The ones who ran by me, the ones who were separated from me and never tried to find me. But my emotions are still so confused. It's hard to feel angry when you can't quite remember why you're mad because there are a million other thoughts trying to claim your attention.

"Do you have a name?" the girl who was closest to me asked, "I'm Max."

I eyed her warily, not so sure how I wanted to respond. Well…it was just my name, I guessed, what harm could it do? "My name…Dragon."

Hey wait! Isn't it supposed to be 'My name _is_ Dragon'? What's wrong with my mouth? Is it because I haven't spoken out loud to another being for so long? Not since Kaliantay…

"Dragon…" the girl mused, "Who do live with? Where's your family?"

I think it over for a few seconds. I don't have anything to lose. If they try anything, I'll be in the air and ten miles away before they know that I'm gone. "I don't have home. Or family."

Shoot! I'm talking like a dolt again! Agh!

_Max's POV_

I feel a surge of pity for this ragamuffin girl and accept the fact that Fang is going to be several attempts on my life. No matter what, this girl…Dragon…is coming with us.

"You can come with us," I say, felling a bit awkward after the statement. Before she can get a word in edgewise, I find a spare shirt and a pair of pants, locate a bar of soap and push her in the direction of a stream nearby. "First however, you are in serious need of bathing."

**Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! I'm having a busy summer! I'm having a little bit of writer's block on this story so this chapter took a while. I hope that it wasn't to boring! REVIEW!**

**pendragoness**


	11. Unsuccessful Conversation

**Hi y'all! My sincere heartfelt apologies for the recent lack of updates…You see my UN-friend, Writer's Block, decided to spend some time in my brain sooooo… It was enjoying its stay until I kicked it out yesterday. This story is goin in a different direction than I originally intended. This probably not going to be the greatest chapter, but I'm desperate to start writing again. Enough of by blabbering! On with the story!**

_Max's POV_

The minute I woke up, another headache took a hold on my brain. The day before, we had found the girl, Dragon. Not to mention convincing the other flock to join us. Just dealing with Tiger and Gazzy together was enough to drive me more insane than I was afraid I had already become. Mantis and Iggy were clearly friends already, though Fang was at odds with Scorpius. I sit up and rest my head in my hands.

"Hey Max!" Nudge said, bouncing over, "You're awake!"

I looked up and blinked. It couldn't be more than seven-oh-clock.

"Scorpius and Fang are mad!"

"Huh?"

"Well Scorpius wants to go west, but Fang says that _you_ said that we're going east." She gestured to the left.

"She's awake! You can shout now!" she called cheerfully to the annoyed boys.

"I don't give a damn! We're going west!"

"You're not exactly in charge! We can go east!"

I look to the sky. Typical boys. Fighting over the direction to fly in. So I decided to step in.

"We will be flying east," I told them. "Scorpius I don't know about your crew, but according to some information we stole, our parents are all located around D.C., and in that area. Perhaps later you could look at some of it and see if any of you are in it. In the meantime…" I trailed off.

The boy to whom I had spoken stormed off.

"Where's Dragon?" I asked, before Fang could get a word in edgewise.

"Up in a tree. She's been there for a while."

"Thanks."

At the moment, I had no desire to speak with him so I spread my wings and rejoiced in the power of flight, angling toward the tree that he had pointed out. Dragon was on one of the top branches. Clean, she had a fair complexion. I circled in, landing a few branches lower. I was afraid that any of the ones closer to her wouldn't take my weight. She looked down at me, and for a moment I could've sworn that I saw a trace of a smile in her emerald eyes. It vanished quickly though, replaced by a stone wall that betrayed nothing.

_Dragon's POV_

I watch as the Max-girl settles onto a tree branch. She is the leader of the group. No one needs to say it, I can sense it. She looks up at me and I quickly hide my emotions, staring blankly.

"So…" she begins.

I stare.

"Ummm, I guess I was kind of wondering….how long have you lived here?"

"I no know. Many moons. Many, many moons."

What the hell? Here I went with the speech again! Come ON mouth! Listen to the brain!

"How old are you?"

I am quiet again. I have a vague idea of how old I am.

"Did you come from the School too?"

I can't hold my tongue, and this time it obeys me.

"No shit, dipstick."

She looks a bit surprised. "Alright then," she mutters so quietly that I'm sure that I'm not supposed to hear.

"I…are you planning on going anywhere?"

"I follow you for now."

The Max-girl smiles. I make my mouth smile in return. She really is easy to fool. I'll stay with them for a few weeks of course, just for the sake of learning how to interact with people now. But after that? I'm a loner by nature. She'll be lucky to see me again.

_Eraser's POV_

I growled in frustration. The Director's orders were long and confusing. The packet of instructions was four pages long! But he was furious. In his eyes, our inability to capture one pathetic bird-girl was pathetic. In fact, in my eyes it was pathetic too. I clenched my fist. We _would _capture this mutant!

**Alright. Some people probably seem a little OOC in this. Once again I'm sorry. I'll try to update at least once a week.  Reviews (especially constructive criticism) will really be appreciated! Thank you so much for reading this!**

 **pendragoness **


	12. Broken Wings

**By now, most of you have probably noticed that I am VERY bad with updating quickly. My apologies, it's just me! I don't want to write a chapter if I'm not sure what exactly to write it about…  More of that later. Let's get this show on the road…if any of you are still there… (lol!)**

_Dragon's POV_

Just so you know, if you spend several years living alone, without memory of human interaction you should _never_ fly with twelve other bird-kids. I mean _never_. That is, unless you wish to be harassed to the point of insanity. There's Tiger, Kairi, Gazzy, and Nudge, an unstoppable group of bickering chatterboxes, then there's Scorpius and Fang, furious, flying at opposite ends of the formation. Not to mention Cloud and Angel, who have apparently bonded and are releasing their own steady stream of words to Mantis, Iggy, and Jaguar. You can almost fell sorry for Max as she struggles to move them in the right direction. Almost.

She glances up at me as I swoop around, several feet higher, casting shadows over the rest of them. She's given up asking me questions finally and that's a relief. It's bad enough to fly with them. I don't want them to hear my awkward words. I coast down to their level, idling on the thermals, several feet behind them.

_Eraser's POV_

I grin to myself, lifting the binoculars to, my face yet again. There she is, flying a bit behind the other targets. Of course, at the moment none of them really matter to me. Only that one. I motion to my fighters.

"Their almost there. A little closer…a little closer…"

As they fly almost directly over our base, I nod. Thirteen tranquilizer darts are launched into the sky…all heading for one bird-girl. I can't stop my smile. This mutant is _ours._

_Dragon's POV_

All I know is that one second I'm flying, and the next several darts have pierced my skin and I'm…you guessed it, falling. Furiously, I reach for the first dart, ripping it out, heedless of the damage I'm inflicting upon myself. With a roar of pain, I hurl it toward the group of Erasers that I can now see clearly. But my vision is blurring. Shit! They're tranquilizers! My coherent thoughts are disappearing quickly.

_Max's POV_

I look back over my shoulder at Dragon's cry. With a yell of my own, I dive after her as she begins to fall, Fang beside me. I've almost got her, when Fang slams into me, knocking both of us several feet down and away. None of the Eraser's bullets find their marks.

"Come ON!" I yell, hearing my voice crack in panic, gesturing to the rest of the flock.

For the first time in twenty four hours, no one questions me. They wheel and we dive as one toward the Eraser's little camp. The Eraser's have stopped firing now, desperate to catch Dragon before she hits the ground. They want her alive. I wait. As one Eraser knocks into another three from the impact of his catch, I spring. I move fast, punching one dog man twice before he can react. A solid kick to his chest sends him to his knees for a moment. Furry arms suddenly cut off my air supply. Of course, my would-be strangler isn't too thrilled about Fang's boot connecting with his face. I'm vaguely aware of the others trying to fight their way to Dragon. But we're losing. Again. A sense of déjà vu overwhelms me and I fight off the memory having entered another struggle. I barely acknowledge the sound of a chopper overhead, and my brain doesn't make the connection.

"Move out!" an Eraser yells, and they bound off into the trees.

Desperate, I leap into the air, my now bloody flock following me. They're too fast. Before we can even pinpoint the noise of the chopper, it's up and away. I turn slowly back to face my flock, scanning every face. And that's when I realize that Nudge isn't with us. A fresh wave of panic washes over me, and I push it down, not succumbing to the hysteria that is testing my control of my emotions.

"Has anyone seen Nudge?" I ask shakily.

The members of my original flock pale instantly.

"Nudge?" Scorpius asks, "Is she the one with the curly brown hair?"

"Yes." I hiss, reining my sudden fury, "Have…you…seen…her?" I say with slow deliberate patience.

I only have to look at their faces to know their answers.

I dive to almost treetop level. They cannot have taken her, too. They cannot have taken her. They CANNOT have taken her. THEY CANNOT HAVE TAKEN HER!

"Nudge!" I call, "Nudge!"

But no one answers. I fly slowly calling and calling. Taking my lead, the others begin searching too.

"Nudge!... Nudge!... Nudge!" I yell. "Nudge!" The panic is rising. "Nudge! Nudge! NUDGE! NUDGE!" I scream.

"Max!" the cry is faint, but I can hear it.

"Nudge! Where are you!"

"Over here!"

"Keep talking! I'm coming!"

She calls my name again and again. I fly quickly, and everyone joins me as I follow her voice. It's getting louder now and I pour on some speed. I see her as we reach the clearing where we had last seen Dragon. She is lying on her stomach, tears running down her face and I run to her. I stop, gasping in horror. She glances up at me and winces.

"Oh Nudge," I whisper, in pity.

Her left wing, the one furthest away from me is fine. But her right wing is far from it. It hangs at odd angles in several places, and sticky blood stains most of her feather. Fragments of frail bone have broken through her skin in several places and several areas are swollen. As I kneel beside her I smooth her hair back from her face and wonder, Will she ever fly again?

_Dragon's POV_

I open my eyes a slit, the dull sound of chopper propellers pounding my sore head. All around me Erasers are laughing and talking. My hands are definitely tied behind my back and if these wolves aren't totally brain dead my legs are restrained too. Have you ever been flying toward something worse than death itself and felt like breaking out into hysterical laughter? I have. If these idiots think that a few tranquilizers are going to keep me here, then they have another thing coming.

**Tada! Now people, I'm expecting veritable FLAMES because of what I've done to Nudge… But it's time for my thank yous. Thank you sososososooooo much to:**

**I-see-thestrals**

**Silver-head angel**

**zanuto**

**Veronica**

**Da Jitter Bug**

**vampirechick54**

**Astronomy Geek**

**KittenofShadows **

**Yascarocks **

**Winged-Lady-Inari-the-2nd**

**skyboard91**

**crash**

**KelleyFitzgerald**

**Ashley**

**Brandi**

**leonessthefirbenderJK**

**blueeyesbetter**

**R-Starcat**

**You are all awesome people. Thanks for reviewing!**

…**review please…**

**pendragoness**


	13. To Crash A Chopper

**Hi again! This is probably the quickest update I have ever done…not that that's a good thing! Everyone who reviewed for the last chapter, you are my inspiration for taking the time to type this. I LOVE getting reviews. So review…please? **

_Dragon's POV_

I watch through my eyelashes as the Eraser's scurry around. The ropes on my wrists won't be a problem. It's the ropes on my legs that will slow me down. I close my eyes completely, listening to what the Eraser's are saying.

"We're not gonna be there for a couple hours. This turbulence we're hitting is gonna make it difficult."

"But that means we'll be late."

"The Director won't care, as long as we get it there."

"Oh screw the Director. You two just get the job done, that's all that matters," a third voice intoned.

As a fourth Eraser joins the conversation, I tune them out, trying to reach the switchblade in my back pocket. Scorpius doesn't know that I stole his blade, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him. As far as I can tell, there are about fourteen Erasers on this chopper. They're so heavy that I'm surprised that we haven't crashed yet. I hide my smile behind my mask of 'unconsciousness'. We haven't crashed…yet. I finally reach the blade and it flips open silently. I twist it into the right position. As I begin sawing at the ropes on my wrist, I start silently praying to whoever might be out there. _Don't let them catch me, don't let them catch me; don't let them catch me…_

The first rope falls away. One down, two to go.

_Max's POV_

"Max," Nudge says, so quietly that I'm not sure she spoke.

I turn to look at her. I see the first tears roll down her cheeks, tracing paths of brown skin through a coating of dirt and blood.

"Max…am I ever gonna be able to fly again?"

I wince. What am I supposed to say? Honestly I have no idea. I don't want to give her false hope, but…

"Maybe, sweetie, but I'm not sure."

I'm surprised at how calm I sound. I catch Fang's eye as he gives me a look of disbelief. I close my eyes for a moment. What am I going to do? I have absolutely no idea how to set a broken bone, much less a broken _wing. _And even if I did, her wing is broken in several places. Not to mention the flesh wounds and probable muscle damage. I take a deep breath, trying not to panic, trying to think of a solution. But I can't. Not a possible one, at least. There is _one_ person in this whole freaking world that could help me now. Just one doctor who just _might_ know what to do. There is a rustling and the crashing sounds of footsteps approaching and two people step into view. Oh my freaking god.

_Dragon's POV_

Even as I slice through the last rope on my wrists, I know that time is short. If I don't make my move while we're still in the wilderness, then I'm done for. Most of the Erasers have fallen asleep, flopped all over the cabin. Only the pilot is still awake. Can we say stupid? I sit up quickly and slash at the ropes around my legs. This blade is sharper than I gave it credit for. Either that or the ropes I've just finished cutting are a lot weaker than the previous ones. Glancing out the windshield, I see that we're approaching a lake. Perfect. The pilot whirls and I bring the knife to his throat.

"Not a sound," I hiss.

He opens his mouth. That's a bad idea. You see, most of us mutant bird kids have a bit of a grudge against lupine hybrids. Killing them is just a bonus that comes with stealing a switchblade. He hits the ground with a thud that would've woken any sane person up. I slip the blade closed and tuck it back in my pocket. The sleepers don't even stir. I leap to the chopper door, opening it, and I grin as I push the body out the door. What a stroke of luck. I don't have much time now. I grab the closest Eraser, feeling my muscles strain as I heave him out to follow his partner. But the whipping wind is beginning to take effect and my captors are stirring and groaning. One of them rolls over and then over again, sliding toward the side of the chopper where I'm holding the door open. Suddenly, the entire contraption tips and I lunge for the opposite wall, hanging on to a metal handhold for dear life. Obviously, luck is on my side today because several Erasers fall out the open door. Unfortunately, the loss of their weight shifts the chopper upright again. The three remaining Eraser's are awake now, jumping to their feet, snarling and morphing. I pull out my blade and flip it open again. As the first wolf-man is in the middle of morphing I leap forward and shove him. Did you know that falling Erasers sound like screaming girls? The last two Erasers advance slowly. They're not about to make their comrades mistake. I launch my blade into the one Eraser's throat and he follows his friend. To bad I don't get to hear him scream. I can feel the chopper careening downward now as the last Eraser standing advances.

"Not so brave now, are you little girl? Not without that blade of yours."

He grins. I glare but inside, I know that I'd better think fast. Even if he's just one Eraser, he's a big wolf and I'm a little bird. He leaps at me, I flinch and…he trips. Before he can steady himself, he's outside and it's just him and the open air. At least he sounds like a guy when he screams. I cringe. The chopper is now directly over the lake and I run to the controls. So many knobs, so little time…I beam. Then I begin twisting every knob that I can find. The chopper goes faster and slows down, rises and dives, spins and rotates and then, as I attempt to do a flip, it goes in for a crash landing in the lake. I'm not sticking around to find out what that feels like. I turn and leap out the door which is still conveniently open. I leap free of the chopper, starting to snap out my wings.

But they won't extend. Sharp lines of pain dig into my wings and I realize too late that somehow, the Erasers have tied them and I didn't notice. And even though I jumI managed to jump out far enough to avoid the chopper, this is going to hurt. I manage to turn enough so that my head doesn't strike the water first. I can't say the same thing about the rest of my body. Thank God for the lake though. Without it, I'd be dead. I feel myself sinking, trying to take in air as tremors from the impact reverberate through my body. I claw, desperate to reach the surface. But it's so far away. I choke on the water, thrashing more. My head breaks the surface and I hack and cough, before my own struggles force me under again. My head takes over and I relax, allowing my body to rise to the surface. Carefully I roll onto my back. I jerk as I try to expel the water from my lungs. I fight to stay on the surface this time. The shore isn't as far away as I thought and I throw all my energy into reaching it. I can barely see and I _must_ be oxygen-deprived at this point. Just as I'm about to give in, I feel sand under my fingertips and I pull my upper half onto the damp shore of the lake. I don't have the strength to pull the rest of my body out of the water as I collapse on the sand, choking and gasping for air.

**So…Was that unrealistic? Yes. But I need to move this story along. All and any reviews are appreciated more than you know. Review!**

**pendragoness**


	14. Pain

**Hello! It's me…back again. Not much to say unless you want excuses for my infrequent updates but I did promise an update last Friday on my profile so I need to get my act together. Anyway…**

_Max's POV_

There is only one thing that can possibly come out of my mouth.

"Oh my freaking god," I whisper, struggling against nervous breakdown.

"Max?" Ella asks, and I can tell that she's freaking out.

"Max," Dr. Martinez says, taking over, "What's going on?"

"What are you guys doing here?" I manage, not answering her question.

Fang is giving me another I-am-going-to-kill-you-later look and I can feel his eyes boring into the back of my head. The rest of them are just plain bug eyed, staring.

"We're on a hiking trip," Dr. Martinez says, watching me carefully, "And you?"

"It's a long story," I reply and then realize that I have instinctively stepped in front of Nudge, blocking her entirely from Dr. Martinez's view. I steel myself and take a step to the side. Her mouth drops open in a big O. Ella gasps. I feel the intensity of Fang's stare change and I realize that he is now giving me the I-am-going-to-kill-you-with-these-people-standing-right-here-if-you-do-not-explain-this-to-me-within-the-next-fifteen-seconds look.

"In a minute," I mutter, too low for the humans to hear. He growls under his breath and glares around the crowd.

"Max, what happened? What's going on? Are these the people that you had to go and meet?"

"Some of them," I grin weakly.

After a few more short answers, I let Dr. Martinez take over and order my companions to do as she says. I know that Nudge needs me, needs me to be there as her wing is set and bandaged, and needs me to be there to comfort her. My head _aches_. Not like the splitting pain that I'm accustomed to, but a sharp pain pounding away at the walls of my skull. I lean against a tree, facing away from where Dr. Martinez is trying to help Nudge. I hear Nudge cry out, and I finally break from my reverie and go to try and help the doctor. But where is Dragon?

_Dragon's POV_

I can't recall when I pass out but I do. One minute I am gasping for air, half in, half out of the lake and the next I am waking up probably hours later. I pull myself totally out of the water. The top half of my shirt is dry and crusted with sand and mud but the rest of me is still drenched. Ugh. Now that the rest of the tranquilizer and most of my adrenalin have worn off, I can feel sharp lines of pain digging into my chest, back, and mostly my wings. I glance down. Thin chains snake around my torso and I can feel them restraining my wings. I sigh and try to open my wings, just for reference. I stop instantly. If I had pulled any longer, I might have broken a wing. Not only do the chains hold my wings to my body, the also attach them to each other. The only way to get them off is to break them. I scowl. Just by looking at the chains, I can tell that they are reinforced steel. My scowl fades and I make my face emotionless, refusing to show my inner fury. To get these chains off, I'll need help. It's hopeless though. I'm miles away from the flock and the only way for me to reach them is to walk. I sigh again as I see the sky darkening. I might as well sleep here on the beach.

_Max's POV_

I wince as Nudge cries out yet again.

"I'm almost done setting the bones," Dr. Martinez mutters.

I bite my lip and stroke Nudge's hair, my mind once again running on hyper drive. As Dr. Martinez begins to clean flesh wounds, Fang detaches himself from the shadows and comes to tap my shoulder.

"It's okay Max," Nudge says, and I know that she's trying to be brave, "You don't have to sit here for the rest of this, and I'm fine."

I draw blood as I bite my lip again, standing up. I smile at her in encouragement and then follow Fang. He turns to look at me and I know exactly what he's going to ask.

"And?" he says, when I don't say anything.

"Do you remember when we were flying to the School to save Angel and I went to help that girl on the ground?"

"Yes," he says through gritted teeth.

"That's her," I say, pointing to Ella. "And the Doctor is her mom."

He looks at me skeptically but doesn't say anything. Before I can say anything else, he does.

"I don't even _want_ to know."

And with this totally un-Fang-like statement delivered, he turns on his heel and walks away. I close my eyes, tired.

_Dragon's POV_

_"Dragon, listen to me child. You're different, yes. You have wings. But that doesn't mean anything."_

_"What do you mean, Kali?" the little girl asks, miffed, fluffing out her wings and parading around the older woman's chair._

_"Nothing bad, silly, just remember this. You can live whatever life you want to and you're not to let **anyone** stop you. Do you understand?" _

_"Why would anyone want to?" the little girl asks, picking up a rag doll from the floor and cradling it. _

_"They are out there, my dear, but you needn't worry now," Kali hastily reassures her. "It's almost suppertime…"_

I sit up abruptly, eyes wide, breathing hard. Oh god. Memories are coming back now. I curl up into a ball, my head on my knees, trying to catch my breath and banish the tears that are welling up in my eyes. I will not cry. Kali deserves better than that. I take a deep breath. With the chains digging into my body and the flood of memories I am obviously not going to be able to get back to sleep. I stand and wince as the chains chafe my wings. I begin to walk, leaving the lake's edge and making my way in the direction from which I came. Even if it's only to get these damned chains off my wings, I'm going to have to find the flock the old fashioned way. Walking.

**:) Happiness is me. I have managed to write this chapter! What do you think?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or anything related to it. (haven't done one of these is a while…oops)**

**REVIEW! **

**pendragoness**


	15. Not Good Enough

 **Hello! It's me…back AGAIN. I patiently await reviews… On with the story!**

_Max's POV_

I wake with a start, not having realized that I had fallen asleep in the first place. I pull myself upright from me position against a tree and shiver. It is colder. A few feet away, I can see some of the others gathered around a small flame and it is growing dark. The crunch of brush beneath my feet warns them of my approach and the small group turns to look at me. Fang scoots over to make a space in the loosely formed circle for me. Dr. Martinez is frowning, the firelight sending flickers of red light dancing over her concerned face. Ella sits beside her mother, knees pulled to her chest, watching the conversation which seems to have stalled do to my appearance. Jaguar, Iggy, and Kairi, the only other people who are gathered around the fire, are sitting right here but I can tell from the way they look that they have withdrawn into their own world's. No one says anything and the silence bears down on us, creating a tension that I do not know how to break without feeling awkward.

"Max!" I jump again, at the sound of Nudge's voice and scramble up quickly, dashing over to her. She lies in shadows now, covered with every piece of clothing that we have to spare.

"Max, where's Dragon?"

I blink, caught off guard. I regain my composure and swallow.

"I don't know, sweetie. Now-"

Nudge's eyes narrow. "Yes you do."

"Wha-"

"You know where she is! They took her! You know exactly where she's going to end up and you're wasting time here because of me!" Her voice cracks in hysteria. "Can't you just leave someone here with me and go save her?!"

This time it takes more than one blink. Where did _that _come from?

"Nudge, I-"

But I know she's not listening. She glares at me and what she's not saying is written all over her face. _You went after Angel, but you don't think Dragon's good enough for you to save_.

"That's not true," I hiss, and for the first time I feel truly furious with a member of my own flock.

_Dragon's POV_

I wince in pain yet again. I've been walking for what seems like hours but I know that it can't have really been that long. The chains dig into my skin and it's as if the more I walk, the tighter they get. I finally stop, leaning against a tree. Why is walking so hard? It's nowhere near as strenuous as flying. Something is very wrong, that's all I know. Maybe it's a side effect from the tranquilizers? All I know is that if I stop moving now, I'll never be able to start again and so I resume my miserable trudge. If only I could get rid of these chains…

_Max's POV_

Nudge's glare intensifies. "It is."

She won't even look at me and before I can stop her, she grits her teeth and hauls herself to her feet. I gasp and try to help her but she finds the strength to push me away. Her jaw is clenched.

"I'm going to find her."

That's all that Nudge manages to say before she passes out.

**I know that this was a really short chapter that probably bored you but I wanted to update anyways. A warning to you all:**

**I am going to be mean and I'm asking for 3 reviews from different people, before I update again. **

**That doesn't mean it'll happen but I can line up the rest of the story while I wait… **

**On a lighter note: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Its late but…wateva. Happy Thanksgiving too, just in case**

**pendragoness**


	16. Lost and Found

**Hello again! More of an author's note at the bottom….**

_Dragon's POV_

I keep walking but it's getting harder and harder. I can feel trickles of warm blood running down my body from where the chains have slowly chafed the skin away, despite the clothing between them and my body. I have long since gone past the point where I can feel the pain. My legs are completely numb. I stumble and fall, cracking my head hard on a rock that has imbedded itself in the ground beneath me. I feel another stream of blood begin, streaming down my face, blurring my vision, warm and salty, stinging as it runs over my chapped lips, seeping into my mouth. I spit in disgust, getting up carefully. I've given up trying to loosen the change. My efforts just make it worse. I lift my tired arm, pressing my hand against the wound on my head. The dirt and sweat from my hand sear the cut but I do manage to stop most of the blood flow. The sun is beginning to rise on the horizon behind me, staining the sky the color of my blood. The heat on my back doesn't make me feel any better. I bite my lip, feeling suddenly sick. Ugh. Someone help me. Please.

_Max's POV_

I gaze worriedly at Nudge. After her outburst last night, she hasn't woken. I close my eyes. Why do these things have to be so complicated? I had managed to answer all the questions about Dr. Martinez and Ella at least but I hadn't been the only one who had heard Nudge's accusations involving Dragon. I knew that eventually someone else would question me. That didn't mean I was going to encourage it.

_Kairi's POV_

I hadn't gotten any sleep all night. I was tired and confused. First, that girl Dragon had disappeared. Then we had met Dr. Martinez and Ella had shown up, not to mention Nudge's injuries. But something is bothering me. It was what Nudge said last night. I talked to Gazzy and Angel last night and eventually they told me everything, about Angel's capture, about rescuing her… Why doesn't Max seem worried about Dragon? It's true, she's known Dragon for a couple days tops, and she's known Angel for almost as long as Angel has been alive. But still. This was the girl who had begged us to stay with her based on _instinct_. I doubted that she would just let Dragon go like that. I frowned, more confused than before. Well, there's only one way to figure this out. I walk over to where Max is sitting and sit down next to her. I think she knows why I'm there and she doesn't even turn toward me. I take a deep breath.

"Max," I begin and I know that she can hear me and that she's listening. "Max, Aren't you worried about Dragon?"

_Max's POV_

I don't turn toward Kairi and her question doesn't surprise me. It's the same question I'm asking myself. The same question that I can't seem to find an adequate answer for. I still don't face her and sensing her impatience, I hold up a finger, gesturing for her to give me a minute. Am I worried about her? I don't know. I've known her for less than a week. The image of her screaming on the ground in some kind of agony is still crystal clear, burned into my mind. The fear that I would sometimes see in her eyes before she could hide it in those rare moments when I met her wild emerald eyes… there's nothing vague about these memories. I know that I do care about her. Maybe not exactly the same way that I care about the rest of the flock, but I do care, I know that. Dragon…she's a difficult girl, her past is so much the same, but it's also very different. I think that I am worried about her, _yes_. But from what I've seen, I have absolute faith in her ability to escape without our help. Instinctually, I really do want to try to find her, to make sure that my assumptions of her strength are correct. I hope that she can find her way back to us. But especially with Nudge like this, and with Dr. Martinez and Ella… these decisions don't come easily. I guess you could say that my priority right now is Nudge. I hope they can understand that.

"I…Yes, of course I'm worried. Nudge is hurt though, and I think that she's strong enough, Kairi. I think that she'll be able to make it back to us," I feel a bit of desperation escaping through a crack in my unbreakable shell, "You can understand that, can't you?

I finally look at her and she turns toward me. "But Max, what if she can't? And I do understand that. But I'm afraid…I'm afraid that Dragon might not be able to."

I look away again. Because I know she's right. I know next to nothing about Dragon. I close my eyes yet again. Nothing is making sense. My head is beginning to pound again. What am I supposed to do? I'm not quite sure what to do anymore. I hear Kairi get up and walk away. Around me, the rest of the flock is trying to function as normally as they can. I don't move. As far as I can see, I have two choices. We can all stay here as long as possible and wait for Nudge to heal or we can split up, some of us staying with Dr. Martinez, Ella, and Nudge, while the rest of us go to find Dragon. I realize the only course of action that will stop this, the one I should have taken in the first place. I stand up. I'm about to call for my companions attention when I hear something in the woods, the sound of erratic footsteps and the ragged sound of breathing.

_Dragon's POV_

I'm falling a lot more now. A while ago, I walked into the woods again. My vision was so bad that I walked into a thicket full if thorns. It's a little better now, at least good enough to keep me from running into trees. I have no idea which direction I'm going. For all I know, I'm walking in circles. The blood is dried now, crusted all over my face and even though there are clouds in the sky, I feel as though I'm walking in full sunlight. I'm too warm. All I can do is keep on walking. I couldn't stop now if I wanted to. A sudden spell of dizziness strikes me and I stagger hopelessly, desperate to stay upright. A tree stops my fall and I'm vaguely aware that I hit my head again, but I don't feel anything. Somehow, I get up again. Up ahead I hear noises that my brain tells me are the sound of other people, people I know. My vision is tinged with black now. Wait…where am I again? What am I walking to? Why am I here? What…

_Max's POV_

I hold my breath, waiting, hoping, until I hear the thud of someone or something hitting the ground. Before anyone can stop me, I'm off into the trees, searching for whatever made the noise. When I see her I freeze. She's so covered in dirt and blood that I almost don't recognize her. There are thin chains wrapped around her torso that bind her wings to her body. She's blacked out on the forest floor and she looks like hell. But it looks like we won't have to go looking for Dragon after all.

**Well, that took a while….I'm not a particularly fast typer… **

**Super thanks to Emaryllis! **

**So, that wasn't TOO boring was it???  REVIEW!!!!! **

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**pendragoness**


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